Travel National

Just 70 years ago, the Gulf nation of Qatar was a backwater, reliant on pearl diving. Today it is a gas-laden parvenu with seemingly limitless wealth and ambition. Skyscrapers, museums and futuristic football stadiums rise out of the desert and Ferraris race through the streets. But in the shadows, migrant workers toil in the heat for risible amounts. Inside Qatar reveals how real people live in this surreal place, a land of both great opportunity and great iniquity.

Have you ever heard of South Ossetia, Transnistria or Somaliland? And what about Abkhazia or Nagorno-Karabakh? Can you guess what these strange names have in common? These are all countries that, despite being independent, are not recognised by the United Nations. In other words, they are countries with borders, populations, visas, their own currencies, and even their own systems of Government, but that are not among the 193 members of the United Nations. Apart from these, which are completely unknown to most of the world’s population, this list also includes some more familiar names, ...

***Newly Updated in 2025*** Situated on the ridges of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains is Shenandoah National Park. Traversed by the famed Skyline Drive, the park is known for its incredible views and hiking. Only a short trip from some of the most populated parts of the East Coast, Shenandoah National Park provides many with a scenic respite from a hectic world. Join 101 Travel Bits™ in celebrating the wonderful park that is Shenandoah National Park. 101 Travel Bits are not your typical guidebooks. Each collection of 101 Travel Bits consists of 101 “bits” of information about one of...

For 50 years, Freeman Tilden's Interpreting Our Heritage has been an indispensable sourcebook for those who are responsible for developing and delivering interpretive programs. This expanded and revised anniversary edition includes not only Tilden's classic work but also five additional essays by Tilden on the art and craft of interpretation, a new foreword by former National Park Service director Russell Dickenson, and an introduction by R. Bruce Craig that puts Tilden's writings into perspective for present and future generations.

The Travel Fam Park Guide for Acadia National Park is designed to help you enjoy, connect with, and immerse yourself in Acadia's mountains, sea, wildlife, and culture in a refreshing way. It guides you toward expansive activities and supports your independence. Now you can successfully navigate vacation with family members who have different needs and preferences. You'll uncover insights, tips, opportunities for self-expression, and insider scoops that can enhance your visit – whether with, or alongside, your travel fam.

In this guide to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, after making sure you can find your way around the park, have a place to camp, as well as food and gas (and plenty of water), we’ll help you truly explore the park’s geology, history, prehistory, wildlife, plants, and people. For example, did you know that there was a major meteor impact in Canyonlands that left a crater three miles wide and had the effect of an 8.0 earthquake on nearby rocks, deforming them for miles?

Many childhood summers, Mark Woods piled into a station wagon with his parents and two sisters and headed to America's national parks. Mark's most vivid childhood memories are set against a backdrop of mountains, woods, and fireflies in places like Redwood, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon national parks. On the eve of turning 50, and a little burned out, Mark decided to reconnect with the great outdoors. He'd spend a year visiting the national parks.

In examining the 424 units of the U.S. national park system, geographers Joe Weber and Selima Sultana focus attention on the historical geography of the system as well as its present distribution, covering the diversity of places under the control of the National Park Service (NPS). This includes the famous national and the lesser-known national monuments, memorials, lakeshores, seashores, rivers, recreation areas, preserves, reserves, parkways, historic sites, historic parks, and a range of battlefields.

Fort Sumter History and Travel Guide: Discover the Story of the Civil War’s First Battle Site and How to Visit Today Discover the powerful story behind one of America's most iconic historical sites. Fort Sumter History & Travel Guide offers a comprehensive look at the fort where the first shots of the Civil War were fired—and how this moment reshaped a nation forever. Blending rich historical narrative with practical visitor tips, this guide is perfect for history buffs, educators, Civil War enthusiasts, and travelers alike. From the early construction of Fort Sumter to its role in the ...

Grand Teton National Park owes its spectacular scenery to earthquakes. Born of earthquakes and sculpted by ice, it’s an active and dynamic landscape. It boasts the youngest and steepest mountain range in the Rockies, contains some of the oldest rocks on earth, features glaciers, glacier-carved lakes, sagebrush flats, abundant and visible wildlife and a myriad of wildflowers.

This photo-based tour includes over 85 photos from the following San Diego locations: the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Sea World, Cabrillo National Monument, Old Point Loma Lighthouse, and the USS Midway.

In this inspiring travelogue, celebrated traveler and photographer Jessica Nabongo—the first Black woman on record to visit all 195 countries in the world—shares her journey around the globe with fascinating stories of adventure, culture, travel musts, and human connections.

Winter turns Glacier National Park into a storybook wonderland—snow-draped forests hum with quiet, icy lakes shimmer like diamonds, and wildlife thrives undisturbed. No traffic, no noise—just you, the snow, and the serene stillness. If you've ever dreamed of leaving the chaos behind and discovering nature’s best-kept winter secret, this guide is your golden ticket.

Deserts are environments that can be inhospitable even to seasoned explorers. Craig Childs has spent years in the deserts of the American West, and his treks through arid lands in search of water reveal the natural world at its most extreme.

Fort McHenry National Monument Travel Guide: Discover the History, Battles, and Patriotic Legacy of the Star-Spangled Banner is your complete guide to one of the most iconic historic sites in the United States. From the battle-scarred ramparts where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” to today’s engaging exhibits and educational programs, this comprehensive travel and history book brings Fort McHenry to life. Perfect for history enthusiasts, families, educators, and travelers alike, this book explores the fort’s origins during the War of 1812, its ...

In this coming-of-middle-age memoir, Kim Heacox, writing in the tradition of Abbey, McPhee, and Thoreau, discovers an Alaska reborn from beneath a massive glacier, where flowers emerge from boulders, moose swim fjords, and bears cross crevasses with Homeric resolve. In such a place Heacox finds that people are reborn too, and their lives begin anew with incredible journeys, epiphanies, and successes. All in an America free of crass commercialism and overdevelopment.

For years, America's national parks have provided public breathing spaces in a world in which such spaces are steadily disappearing, which is why close to 300 million people visit the parks each year. Now, to honor the centennial of the National Park Service, Terry Tempest Williams, the author of the beloved memoir When Women Were Birds, returns with The Hour of Land, a literary celebration of our national parks, what they mean to us, and what we mean to them.

The United States is full of natural wonders, but few remain unspoiled by man as much as Yosemite National Park: a 750,000 square acre park near the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Despite being inhabited by people for nearly 3,000 years, the relatively remote spot helped ensure that even as America expanded west, the Yosemite area avoided being settled or exploited like so many other areas on the frontier.

UPDATED MARCH 2016 Added new section: South Rim Viewpoints-West, pictures and text for all scenic stops between The Bright Angel Trailhead and Hermit’s Rest along Hermit Road. A total of ten stops have been added to this newest addition the comprehensive “Grand Canyon: Your South & North Rim Guide to Hiking, Dining & Lodging.” INCLUDED • Description and Photos of the park entrance, Visitors Center, Bookstore, Transit Center, Bright Angel Bicycles/Cafe and Mather Point. • Description and Photos of Market Plaza, Trailer Village and Mather Campground, Verkamps, Gift Shops, Yavapai ...

I've always have been intrigued with Yellowstone National Park, and since my first visit in 1980 I have been returning faithfully. In fact, I am so faithful I moved and now live within 30 or so miles from the North Gate of the park. But since this time I have been exploring and learning many of the secrets the park holds for its visitors.